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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30022431">It's been a long, long time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeoLinden/pseuds/GeoLinden'>GeoLinden</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>40s, Angst, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Captain America Steve Rogers, Captain America: The First Avenger, F/M, Fluff, Hydra (Marvel), Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:22:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,887</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30022431</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeoLinden/pseuds/GeoLinden</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You never knew what fate had in store for you, as if it was testing what it had offered you one day it took away from you the next. It was almost four years after Steve gave himself up to save the world, but you had never given up hope of being with him again.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers &amp; Reader, Steve Rogers/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It's been a long, long time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Captain America First Avenger / Avengers Endgame. Some of the dialogue is taken from the film. Sorry for my spelling and grammatical mistakes, English is not my native language, I am learning.</p>
<p>My Tumblr: https://ladyeliot.tumblr.com</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>
    <em>1949.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p>The rumours of his possible return were fading with time, but hopes were not falling.</p>
<p>Nearly four years had passed since the end of the Second World War, and the consequences were soon felt worldwide, especially by those who had survived that tragic period. You had been present from start to finish, being a potent participant in the covert operations linking the US and the UK. Although you had not been on the front line fighting as a soldier, you had been on the front line commanding the actions they would take. In 1939 you became a member of the British Royal Military, then a recommendation from a superior officer led to you joining the Special Operations Executive, a British spy agency, changing your destiny, causing MI5 to contact you, and then you were seconded to the Strategic Scientific Reserve, a top-secret Allied war agency during World War II, created by President Roosevelt. Too many things happened in a single year, too many things that would change the course of your history, but the most important was yet to happen.</p>
<p>In 1943 you were assigned to Colonel Chester Phillips’ training base, known as Camp Lehigh, where you were assigned to supervise the candidate division of Project Renaissance, the project that changed everything. Project Renaissance was a highly secret project run by the United States Government. Its aim was to create super soldiers to be deployed during World War II against the Axis powers, thus having a great advantage in strategic warfare, however things didn’t go as planned and they only had one success, a young man from Brooklyn named Steve Rogers.</p>
<p>You could never deny that you didn’t notice him the first moment you saw him, he instantly caught your attention in two ways. The first of them was his physical shape, he stood out for his small stature compared to the other cadets, and his physical appearance looked sickly, although his medical record didn’t say anything about it. On the other hand, the other aspect that impressed and inspired you was his courage and endurance to face each of the tests they had to pass, as well as his cunning, all of which won you over, as well as the generals of the project, as he was selected for the Renaissance project. The time you spent together at Camp Leigh made you realise the determination and humility he possessed, traits that the other members of the group, or any other man you had met before, possessed only to a slight degree.</p>
<p>The day the experiment was carried out, that is, the injection of the Super Soldier serum into Steve was another turning point in your life, the young man who went into that machine was not the same as the one who would come out of it, at least for everyone present, a human being went in and a super soldier came out, although for you he was still the same Steve Rogers with 30 centimetres more height and greater muscle mass. From then on he became the secret weapon that would overthrow Hitler, as the leader of the project, Dr. Erskine, was killed which meant that Steve was the only one of his kind.</p>
<p>You would have liked to have been able to say that your relationship was moving towards a more effective environment, but you were really living in a period of war, plus your character did not easily fit in with the word love, it never really did, or rather, you had never shown any interest in any man. You were rude, you had suffered enough harassment in your job, a job by and for men, to become insensitive in several cases. You were selective with your friends and also with the people you could trust, that’s why every time you felt any affection for someone you stopped it, and that’s what happened with Steve at the beginning.</p>
<p>Frankly, there were not too many moments to show your affection for each other, nor to enrich it, but every occasion that brought you together, there were certain feelings in the air that were never expressed in words. You encouraged him to be more than a lab rat or a fair hand for the soldiers at the front, you also helped him from your position with the missions, which after his triumph in rescuing the soldiers of the 107th infantry, were assigned to him. You complemented each other, you understood each other in many aspects that no one had ever understood, you had faith in him and he in you, that is why deep inside you were waiting for the day when the war would end to discover what it would be like to be able to dance with him without any worries around you, but it was not that simple.</p>
<p>As if the universe itself was mocking you, everything it had offered you was taken away in a breath. Even if you had never extrapolated it, your heart shrank every time he marched on a mission in enemy territory, you used to find yourself behind the controls of the base of operations that commanded his missions waiting for his voice or news from him to indicate what the situation was, but the last time what you saw was different. It was all a consequence of your attack on HYDRA HQ, you had worked out a strategy to take out their leader, the Red Skull, Steve was inside and you later came in with the assault guard and became part of the operation. Things had gone a little shaky during the operation, as the Red Skull managed to gain access to a ship and almost escaped from the place, but at that moment you appeared as if you were a breath of air together with Colonel Chester Phillips to offer him the last chance for Steve to finish him off and gain access to the inside of the ship that was about to escape, but not before sharing your first and last kiss. Every day you remember the last words you said to him in person “Go get him.” before watching him jump into the plane and disappear into the snowy mountains.</p>
<p>After that, the ship became a direct path to death unbeknownst to you. A few hours later, from the command post, you managed to maintain a direct connection with the ship, specifically with Steve who was still inside it.</p>
<p>“Come in. This is Captain Rogers. Do you read me?” you all heard from the intercom.</p>
<p>“Steve, is that you? Are you alright?” your heart raced as it did every time he was away from you on a mission.</p>
<p>“Y/N! Schmidt’s dead.</p>
<p>That brought a breath of relief that neither of you had experienced for a long time, you could see a little light at the end of the tunnel that was getting closer and closer to you, but what you heard next put the light out again.</p>
<p>"What about the plane?” you asked still worried about his situation.</p>
<p>“That’s a little bit tougher to explain,” Steve’s words were choppy.</p>
<p>It really was complicated, the plane was loaded with explosive devices and was clearly headed for New York City, that meant there was only one possibility and you all knew what it was. You tried to talk him out of it, to find a new solution, but time was running out.</p>
<p>“Y/N, this is my choice,” a lump formed in your throat at those words. “Y/N?”</p>
<p>“I’m here,” you managed to say with watery eyes and a hand to your lips.</p>
<p>“I’m gonna need a rain check on that dance,” you heard through the intercom, as a sharp gust of air rushed in between his words.</p>
<p>“Alright,” you hid a soft sob. “A week, next Saturday, at the Stork Club.”</p>
<p>“You got it,” he said firmly, making it seem real that he was going to show up there on Saturday.</p>
<p>“Eight o'clock on the dot. Don’t you dare be late. Understood?”</p>
<p>“You know, I still don’t know how to dance,” a wistful smile appeared on your face at his words.</p>
<p>“I’ll show you how. Just be there,” you said almost begging him.</p>
<p>“We’ll have the band play somethin’ slow,” Steve picked up the pace of his words, “I’d hate to step on your…</p>
<p>That was the last time you heard his voice, the line connecting the intercom to Steve went static with a soft continuous noise, that’s when the tears flowed freely down your cheeks.</p>
<p>"Steve? Steve? Steve?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Of course, life puts us all to the test, we believe we need redemption for the acts committed in the past, that often makes us lose hope that better times will come.  Almost four years have passed since those last events, since you shared your first and last kiss with your Captain America, since you heard his last words and since you felt that thing called love. Now your life had been turned upside down, you had dreamed for too long of meeting him, of seeing his face again and not only through those war films, but your life went on and you couldn’t keep yourself stuck thinking about him, that’s why you had decided to leave the Strategic Scientific Reserve and go into a new project with Howard Stark, called S.H.I.E.L.D.</p>
<p>It was unusual for the month of January to have that warm morning out, although it was actually quite comforting as it had brightened up your day, and even when you got home you opted to start cooking to the rhythm of whatever song was playing on the radio, which was unusual for you. The open windows allowed the sun’s rays to stream into the living room, offering that homely touch that the little house in the middle of a residential neighbourhood lacked. Due to your countless projects and missions in the SSR you had not been able to enjoy home life as much as you would have liked, although it was really your decision, that house was too quiet and too big for you alone, although the radio offered you the company you sometimes needed.</p>
<p>As if it were a special event you had brought out the table linen and arranged the table in the parlour to eat there for the first time, normally you used the table in the kitchen, for you did not waste too much time on your meals, but this day was a new beginning, a new year, a good time to work out new habits. You opted to open a bottle of wine, which had been a gift from your dear friend Howard Stark, and poured yourself a glass while you waited for the chicken to make its acquaintance in the oven. The rhythmic melody of Nat King Cole along with your glass of wine lifted spirits that hadn’t been this high for some time.</p>
<p>“Love is all that I can give to you,” you intoned as you walked around the kitchen.</p>
<p>The midday seemed to be going smoothly, until a crashing noise from the front door brought you to a screeching halt. “Ogh, Mrs. Foster,” you said to yourself before taking a sip from your glass of wine to fill your spirits. Mrs Foster was the neighbour from across the street who was always knocking on your door whenever she could, hoping to whisper about the other neighbours and glean as much information about you as possible, the funny thing was that she always barged in at the most inopportune times.</p>
<p>“I’m coming!” you exclaimed, taking off your apron and placing it on the counter. “I’m there!”</p>
<p>When you reached the front door you took five seconds to exhale the air inside you, position your dress correctly, take another breath, roll your eyes and expose a wide grin before you very quickly lowered the door handle. We’ve been talking before about all the turning points that changed your life and shaped your destiny, okay, that was one of them, maybe the most important one of all, the one that set the rest of your life on track.</p>
<p>“Hello Mrs. Fos-!”</p>
<p>Your voice disappeared, your vocal cords seemed to break at that moment, your wide, false smile also vanished as if it had never been on your face, your eyes seemed to have no eyelids and your lungs ran out of air, leaving you breathless. What you saw when you opened that door was your whole life, every moment appeared in front of you as if it were a frame. They say that happens when you are about to die, but it happened to you when the person you had loved had returned from the dead and was prostrate before you. You couldn’t tell whether your reaction was the most humane or what someone else would have done in your place because you had never met anyone who had. Soldiers sometimes took long months to return home after the war ended, but it had taken Steve almost four years to do so.</p>
<p>Perhaps there had been hundreds or thousands of times you had imagined that moment, and now you didn’t know what to do, your limbs were stiff, you were grateful for it or you would have collapsed in those moments. You kept holding the doorknob tightly, while he stood there on your porch staring at you, not knowing what to do. They were the longest minutes of your whole life, or maybe they were only a few seconds, you didn’t know how time worked in those moments, but that didn’t matter, your emotions recovered when you looked into his eyes, those blue eyes that you had dreamed of so many nights and they were watery, that was the sign that told you that this was not a dream, it was real life.</p>
<p>The air opened again and passed through your lungs in the form of a gasp, you shared the wateriness of his eyes in yours and in a moment you were wrapped in his arms. You could feel him again, or rather you could feel him around you for the first time. His arms were around your back bringing your body closer to his.</p>
<p>“You’re… here.” you murmured against his chest almost afraid that your words would make him disappear again.</p>
<p>“I’m home,” he whispered against your forehead before kissing it and pulling away to look at your face.</p>
<p>It really was him, you noticed the odd changed feature, as if the years had passed him by more quickly, but there was no doubt that it was Steve. He placed his hands on your cheeks cradling your face, that sensation made you close your eyes as you placed your hands on his. Gingerly, you felt his breath collide against you and the longing for his lips that had haunted you for so many years came to an end.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against yours.</p>
<p>“No, you’re home,” you murmured, taking his hand and bringing his palm to your lips.</p>
<p>The open windows of the living room let out the melody of the radio, as if it were one of those Hollywood feature films with its own soundtrack. For a few long minutes you stood there on the porch of your house, oblivious to everything around you, oblivious to curious stares or if the chicken was burning in the oven, there was nothing more relevant than the two of you.</p>
<p>After a few minutes without taking your eyes off each other you took his hand and went inside your home, there were no unnecessary questions, no comments that could break the moment, your gazes were pleased to observe each other and as if your thoughts were connected and the person in charge of playing the songs on the radio knew it, one of Steve’s favourite songs began to play. Harry James’ voice came into the room, giving you the moment you had wanted for four years in your case, but for Steve it had been many more. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Never thought that you would be</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Standing here so close to me</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>There’s so much I feel that I should say</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>But words can wait until some other day”</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>His arm found position around your waist and your face found position on his chest. You listened to his heartbeat work to the rhythm of the melody, you could never have imagined ever feeling like this again, you would have made a pact with the devil on too many occasions to feel it. It was so unreal that you had to lift your face from his chest to look at his face again, to find out if it really was Steve in front of you, it was. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“Kiss me once, then kiss me twice</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Then kiss me once again</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It’s been a long, long time</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Haven’t felt like this, my dear</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Since I can’t remember when</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It’s been a long, long time”</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Life had offered you a new opportunity to enjoy it together, and you were never going to miss it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>“You’ll never know how many dreams</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>I’ve dreamed about you</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Or just how empty they all seemed without you</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>So kiss me once, then kiss me twice</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Then kiss me once again</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>It’s been a long, long time”</em>
</p>
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